Date-stamped : 12 Jul94 - 14:26
India vs South Africa, First ODI - Calcutta, Nov 10, 1991
South Africa's first officially blessed representative match in
almost 22 years, first one-day international and first-ever game
against India attracted a crowd widely claimed as beating the
world record for a day's cricket of 90800. However, Jagmohan
Dalmiya, president of the Cricket Association of Bengal, said
Eden Gardens now contained 90452 seats and estimates putting the
attendance higher included all the various officials, pressmen,
policemen and peanut vendors. The cricket was a disappointment
and India's victory was easier than the margin suggested. South
Africa were obliged to bat at 9am when the ball swung in the
Calcutta smog and, understandably, the batting was nervy since
90000 people, many of them throwing firecrackers, were able to
create quite an atmosphere even if they did not break the
record. Wessels's 50 was made too slowly. South Africa were
given some hope when Donald took 3 wickets in his first 4 overs,
but Tendulkar and the debutant Pravin Amre took India towards
victory. Even in defeat, the South Africans were still
overwhelmed by the occasion: "I know how Neil Armstrong felt
when he stood on the moon", said their captain Rice.
Source: Wisden Cricketers' Almanack, 1993
Contributed by VKFan (karnik@cs.umn.edu)